When the German super car manufacturers Gumpert went into administration recently, it became as a bit of a shock to many commentators in the motor industry. These types of super sports cars “need to exist,” the team from TV´s Top Gear said. I agree so have come up with a list of the most underrated sports car manufacturers the roads simply cannot be without.
Maserati
Maserati sports cars have been wowing crowds since 1914. Created by the Maserati brothers in their native Italy, their initial dream was to race their cars and was extremely successful on the track for several decades. When they were purchased by Otis Group in 1937 they became one of the hottest cars on the road and have since partnered Ferrari before moving across to their current partners Alpha Romeo.
The Maserati is everything you would expect from Italian designers; sleek, assured and fast. These luxury cars are built for people with style and have a passion for driving. They are making a gradual impression in the United States and recently launched a deal with Benfield Motors in the UK market. Expect to see heads turning in the north-east!
TVR
British sports car manufacturer, TVR, was founded in 1949 by Trevor Wilkinson – the name of the company derived from the owners name TreVoR. The luxury car gained popularity in the 1960´s after making its first appearance at the Geneva Motor Show in 1965. Several years later it partnered with Ford and became the third largest sports car manufacturer in the world.
TVR was mostly renowned for its diverse range of coupés and convertibles, the Triumph of the 1970´s the most famous of them all. Thirty years on TVR was struggling to compete with the market and in July 2012 announced that production of their luxury cars was cease permanently. The TVR name will continue, but only on the production of wind turbine engines.
Lotus
Lotus Engineering was originally founded in 1954 and four years later was racing its formidable machine in formula 1. The following year the company launched its first road vehicles and had considerable success throughout the 1960´s and 70´s. However, in 1980 interest had seriously waned and owner Colin Chapman was resigned to selling his company to Toyota who went on to build the Celica using Lotus patents. Chapman died of a heart-attack in 1982 at the age of 54.
Today the luxury sports car has a dynamic, executive design and at the Paris Motor Show in 2010 announced its intention to launch five new models between 2013 and 2018. The first, due for release in Spring 2013, is the awe-inspiring new Lotus Esprit, powered by a 4.8-litre engine and capable of hitting 60mph in 3.4 seconds.
Sports cars are the twinkle in the eye, the cars that make young men dream and the ladies scream. We needs super sports cars on the road as much as the manufacturers need customers. Let´s make sure that Maserati and Lotus do not go the same way as Gumpert and TVR.
